The Air Force will conduct a flyover over Stockholm and Uppsala on March 11 together with the U.S. Bomber Task Force. This marks the first anniversary of Sweden's NATO membership and the flight is part of the planned exercise activities, writes the Swedish Armed Forces in a press release.

American B-52 Stratofortress aircraft will be met by two Swedish Jas 39 Gripen from the Skaraborg Air Wing at high altitude outside Gothenburg. The bombers will then be escorted over central Sweden before performing a formation flight at low altitude over central Stockholm. The flight will pass the parliament at 13:00 and then continue north over Arlanda and Uppsala, writes the Swedish Armed Forces.

– Sweden is the newcomer in NATO, but the Air Force has a long-standing cooperation with the U.S. Air Force. They are a very important partner and missions like these are excellent opportunities to train together and strengthen the alliance, says Lieutenant Colonel Mikael Månsson at the Air Staff.

The Swedish contribution is part of the regular exercise activities with allies and partners within NATO.

– Our ability to quickly integrate and cooperate sends a clear signal of our shared commitment to regional security and stability. It also demonstrates the strength of the partnership we have long had with Sweden, says Lieutenant Colonel Kendall "Spartan" Smith, head of the Bomber Task Force in the U.S. Air Force.